Button feeding mechanism for sewing machines



Dec. 21, 1943- L. G. BURKEY 2,337,181

BUTTON FEEDING MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES Original Filed Jan. 22,1941 Tig-E- l m I \mmmn &

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' INVENTOR Lawren ce G. BurIig/fl ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 21, 1943STATES PATENT 4 OFFICE 2,337,181 BUTTONS%I(I(L}IA FOR Lawrence G.Burkey, Creson, Pa assignor to S.

Liebovitz a Sons, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New YorkOriginal application January 22, 1941, Serial No.

375,481. Divided and this application Decem- This invention relatestoimprovementsin sewing and has particular reference to a button feedingmechanism therefor, the present application being a division of myco-pending aping through the hopper, and said shaft is driven at a slowspeed from a separate source of power such as an electric motor (notshown) through the medium of a pulley I36 loosely mounted on plication:Ser. No. 375,484, filed January 22, 1941. 5 said shaft and operated bythe drive belt I31; 8 An object of the invention is to provide animclutch mechanism, generally indicated by the nuproved button feedingdevice of simple and pracmeral I 33, being utilized to drive the shaftfrom tical construction which enable buttons to be said pulley. fed to adelivery position of said device in such The hopper 22 is formed thereinat one side manner that each button will reach said position thereofwith a recess or compartment I33 in for proper application to a garmentor other fabwhich the drum I34 revolves, and the remaining ric to whichthe button is to be attached. space within said hopper constitutes abutton Another object to provide improved means chamber I40 into whichbuttons are deposited for feeding buttons from a hopper into a deliverythrough the open upper end of said hopper. Said chute only when thebuttons are in proper posil5 recess I39 is formed within the hopper byan tion for a sewing operation, and for preventing. enlargement I whichextends (see Fig. 2) from entrance of any buttons from said hopper intothe point I42 adiacent the chute 23 downwardly said chute when thelatter is filled. around the wall of the hopper and upwardly to Afurther object is to feed buttons onto the the point I43, and the spacebetween said two surface of a rotatable drum having recesses pointsexposes the periphery of the drum I34 as each adapted to receive abutton to be fed to a it is rotated, and it is in this space that thebutdelivery chute, andto provide a finger that entons from the bottom ofthe chamber I40 are ages in a groove passing through the bottom of fedonto the periphery of the drum preparatory said recesses so that thebuttons in the latter to being discharged into the chute 23. In orderwill be dislodged therefrom as they are about to convey the buttons fromthe bottom of the to enter said chute. hopper upwardly towards saidspace, the side of The above and other objects will appear more the drumadjacent the chamber I40 has seclearly from the following detaileddescription cured thereto a plurality of conveyor elements when takenconnection with the accompany- I44 in the form of diagonally disposedplates each ing drawing which illustrates a preferred emof which willpick up one or more buttons as bodiment of the inventive idea. the drumis rotated and convey the same up- Inthe drawing: wardly towards thepoint I43. At this point, Fig. 1 a. fragmentary side elevation of thethe portion MI is provided with inclined surfaces, button feedingdevice, partly in section. as indicated at I45, upon which the buttonswill Fig. 2 is an elevation of the button feeding be discharged fromeach conveyor I44 due to mechanism with the hopper casing in section.the inclination of the latter. The surfaces I45 Fig. 3 iss top plan viewthereof. tend to center the buttons upon the surface of Fig. 4 is asection on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2, and the drum so that each button willcome to rest Fig. 5 isa detailed sectional view of a portion thereonadjacent one of a plurality of button of the feeding mechanism taken onthe line 5-5 receiving recesses I46 formed in the periphery of Fig. 2.of the drum. Each recess I46 has its bottom con- The button feedingdevice of the present informing substantially in shape to that of thevention is capable of use in conjunction with a normal upper surface ofthe button so that if sewing machine such as disclosed in the above thelatter, when deposited upon the drum, is in identified applicationwherein means are proan upside down position itwill become seated invided for transferring buttons in succession and one of the recesses, asillustrated in Fig. 2. at proper intervals from the feeding device to aShould, however, a button be right side up on button clamp on themachine where said buttons the drum, it will not enter a recess and willbe are stitched onto a garment or the like. ejected from the surface ofthe drum, as will Said device, as shown in its preferred form, so laterappear, before reaching the chute 23. In comprises a hopper 22 fromwhich the buttons other words, only those buttons which become are fedinto a chute 23 and from thence transseated in a recess in an upsidedown position will fen-ed to the proper position for the sewing opbe fedfrom the hopper into the chute so that oration. said hopper 22 islocated a rowhen the button reaches the delivery'positlon tatable drum134 fixed upon a shaft I35 extendfor transfer to the button clamp of thesewing machine, said button will be in the right side up position.

To aid in guiding a button into one of the recesses as it is depositedupon the drum, the latter carries on its periphery between adjacentrecesses small follower lugs I41 which engage a button as the drumrotates. After a button has been seated in a recess and travels towardthe delivery chute 23, it is retained in its recess by passing undersmall leaf springs I45 secured to an adjacent side wall of the hopper22. The periphery of the drum has formed therein an annular groove I49which extends centrally through the bottom of the recesses I45, and atthe upper entrance of the chute 23 there is disposed a finger I50 whichengages in said groove and beneath a button in one of the recesses I45so that as the latter is about to be discharged into said chute, saidfinger will lift the button from its recess so as to facilitate itsdischarge into said chute.

In order to deflect those buttons from the drum which are not in properposition and seated in a recess, there is provided adjacent the entranceto the chute a diagonally disposed deflector plate or baflle II arrangedin the path of movement of the buttons on the drum and having its loweredge spaced sufliciently from the periphery of the drum to permit thosebuttons within the recesses I45 to pass beneath the deflector or baffleand thus enter the chute'to be fed downwardly therethrough by gravity.However, those buttons which have not assumed an inverted position andbecome seated in the recesses I45 will strike against the baflle I5I andthus be deflected thereby back into the button chamber I45.

After a button has passed beneath the baflle I5I, it comes in contactwith a. guide plate In (see Fig. 5) and the button is conveyeddiagonally from this point to the entrance of the chute 23, This guideplate I52, by causing the buttons to move in a diagonal direction,provides a means for preventing an excessive number of buttons fromentering the chute. In other words, should said chute become completelyfilled, as indicated in Fig. 5, the last button I53 to enter into thechannel formed by the guide plate I52 will form an abutment for the nextsucceeding button I54 which is carried beneath the baflle I5I, and thelatter button striking against the button I53 in an oil-center positionrelative thereto, will be deflected from the drum and will fall downinto the chamber I45.

As previously stated, the drum I34 is ously driven from the pulley I35by a clutch mechanism I38. This mechanism comprises a ratchet I55 fixedupon the shaft us, and further includes an arm I55 secured to the pulleyI35. Pivoted to the outer end of the arm I55 is a pawl I51 having itsfree end connected to the other extremity of said arm by a coil springI55 which is of suflicient tension to normally maintain a pin I59 on thepawl I51 in engagement with the ratchet between two of the teeth thereofso that as the pawl is driven by the rotation of the pulley, it willrotate the ratchet and thus revolve the drum. However, should a buttonbecome temporarily lodged beneath the baflle plate continu- I5I, itbecomes necessary to dislodge said button so that the drum can continueto rotate and feed other buttons to the chute. Should such a contigencyarise, the pulley I35 continues to drive 5 the pawl I51, but the pin I53will now ride over the teeth of the ratchet I55 and, in so doing, eachtime said pin is snapped into a recess between two adjacent teeth of theratchet by the action of the coil spring I58, suflicient vibration willbe imparted to the drum I34 to dislodge the jammed button which willthen either pass beneath the baflle I5! or be deflected back into thebutton chamber.

What is claimed is: I

1. In a button feeding device for a sewing machine, a hopper forcontaining buttons, a rotatable drum positioned within and to one sideof said hopper and having button-receiving recesses in the peripherythereof, a chute extending from said hopper into which buttons are fedfrom said drum, button pick-up elements projecting from the side of saiddrum and operable to convey buttons from said hopper onto the peripheryof said drum, means to guide buttons to said recesses, and meansadjacent said chute to eject such buttons which fail to become seated insaid recesses.

2. In a button feeding device for a sewing machine, a hopper forcontaining buttons, a rotatable drum positioned within and to one sideof said hopper and having button-receiving recesses in the peripherythereof, a chute extending from said hopper into which buttons are fedfrom said drum, button pick-up elements projecting from the side of saiddrum and operable to convey buttons from said hopper onto the peripheryof drum, means to guide said buttons to said re cesses, means adjacentsaid chute to elect such buttons which fail to become seated in saidre-' cesses, and further means to prevent entrance into said chute ofbuttons in said recesses when said chute is filled.

3. In a button feeding device for a sewing machine, a hopper in whichbuttons are contained, a drum rotatable in said hopper and havingbutton-receiving recesses therein, a chute extending from said hopperinto which buttons are fed from said drum, means carried by said drumoperable as the latter rotates to convey buttons onto said drum, meansto guide said buttons into said recesses, a battle positioned at theentrance to said chute to deflect from said drum those buttons which arenot seated in said recesses, and means to vibrate said drum should abutton seated in one of said recesses fail to pass said baflle and entersaid chute.

4. In a button feeding device for a sewing machine, a button hopper, arotatable drum having recesses for receiving buttons from said hopper, achute into which buttons are fed from the recesses in said drum, abaille position at the entrance to said chute to deflect from ,d drumthose buttons which are not seated in said recesses, and means tovibrate said drum should a button seated in one of said recesses fail topass said baflle.

LAWRENCE G. BURKEY.

